NLR names Barber to top IT position
John Barber has been named North Little Rock's chief information technology officer as the city plans to revamp and combine its information technology services, Mayor Joe Smith has announced.
Barber has been IT manager for the North Little Rock Police Department. His new position's salary will be $100,000 annually.
Barber's new duties will begin Saturday, according to a letter from Smith to the City Council announcing the appointment.
Benefits based on his tenure with the Police Department and any leave accumulation will carry forward into the new position, Smith's letter said.
"I look forward to working with you as we reorganize and improve the City IT services and bring the efficiencies and conveniences of the latest technology to our citizens," Smith wrote in his letter.
Hearings on block grants start today
The first of three communitywide public hearings will start today to address housing and community development needs for North Little Rock's annual Community Block Grant action plan.
Today's meeting will be 6 p.m. for Ward 1 at the North Little Rock Community Center Lecture Room, 2700 Willow St.
The next two meetings will be for Ward 2, at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Rose City Police Substation, 4609 E. Broadway, and for Wards 3 and 4, at 6 p.m. Thursday at North Heights Recreation Center, 4801 Allen St.
All the meetings are open to the public.
The city anticipates applying for two categories of funding -- Community Development Block Grant and Home Investment Partnership funds -- from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The purpose of the public hearings is to get comments from people and organizations about needs that may be addressed by the funds.
More information is available by contacting the North Little Rock Community Development Agency at 500 W. 13th St. or at (501) 340-5342.
Library to host pet adoption 'catwalk'
Pet owners are invited to "walk the catwalk" with their pets alongside adoptable dogs from the North Little Rock Animal Shelter during an event at 1 p.m. Saturday at William F. Laman Public Library, 2801 Orange St.
The Dogs on the Cat Walk event, sponsored by the North Little Rock Friends of Animals, aims to encourage the adoption of shelter animals and solicit donations for the shelter. The library is requesting donations of dry food, towels and throw blankets for the shelter prior to the event.
Door prizes will be offered at the event, including one free adoption.
On-site adoptions can be arranged for residents with a state-issued identification card showing they are over the age of 21. The adoption cost is $60, which includes the cost of spaying or neutering and some shots.
Razzle Dazzle book is donated to library
The Colonial Dames of America, Arkansas Chapter, recently donated a copy of author Michael Riedel's Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway to the William F. Laman Public Library in North Little Rock.
Riedel's book is described as a "rollicking, authoritative and valuable history of Broadway," according to a 2015 review in The New York Times.
The society's book award committee chooses one book for its annual award that it considers outstanding from among 50 nonfiction works by American authors and publishers. The state chapter donates an annual award book to a library each year.
The Laman Library was selected for the book donation this year because several of the society's members live in North Little Rock, according to a news release about the award.
The group's Arkansas chapter began Jan. 26, 1898, when 14 women formed the society in Little Rock, following the guidelines of the national society that began the year before, according to the news release.
Metro on 10/30/2017